Experts say that greening garment and textile production is not an option in this multi-billion dollar industry, but must given the increasing demands for sustainability worldwide.
Many garment import countries took action to promote circular and sustainable fabrics.
European Commission demanded that fast fashion cease by 2030. The Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textile was developed and published by the European Commission. It established guidelines for eco-design, beginning with textiles.
Accordingly, by 2030 textiles placed in the European Union, the world’s largest market for garment products, should be long–lived and recyclable.
“There is no other way for the garment and textile industry of Vietnam if it does not want to be excluded from the global game,” Le Tien Truong, chairman of Vietnam National Textile and Garment Group (Vinatex), said.
According to a recent report about the garment and textile market by STS Group, the global garment and textile market was worth around US$573.22bil (RM2.5 trillion) in 2022 and Vietnam was among major exporters of garment and textile products, together with China, India, Bangladesh and Turkiye which altogether accounted for more than 55% of the world’s garment export value.
According to forecasts, the global textile market will grow 6.6% to reach US$610.9bil (RM2.7 Trillion).
Despite impressive growth, the garment and textile industry was the second-most-polluting industry in the world, which dumped around 90 million tonnes of waste into the environment per year on average, the report pointed out.
Vinatex’s Nguyenthanh Ngan quoted statistics showing that global textile and garment industries used up to 79,000 million cubic meters of water annually. For the production of one T-shirt, approximately 2700 litres was required. This is sufficient water to sustain a person for 2.5 years.
Furthermore, washing synthetic fibres and microplastics in the water can also cause pollution.
Going green is vital for Vietnam’s garment and textile industry in the context of increasing requirements for sustainability, Nguyen Huu Nam, deputy director of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ho Chi Minh City branch, said.
Large importers had set requirements regarding social responsibility and environmentally-friendly production. They also required circular production that uses the least energy and has minimal natural resources.
STS Group stated that there were huge opportunities for people who take early steps toward sustainable production.
Market for recycled garments was US$6.9bil, RM31bil in 2022. In 2027 it is projected to grow at 6.4% per annum.
Nguyen Hong Qan, director at the Institute for Circular Economy Development stated that consumers are increasingly choosing sustainable development. — Viet Nam News/ANN